Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

Steel_2

mardatha wrote: »

I just threw my hens into the coop and shut them in because we have really hellish winds. How long can I leave them in there without water ? They were really being batted around the pen and would get hurt.

Hi Mardatha

We were really worried about our chickens in the foul weather while we were out at work so we constructed a straw bale 'house' for them in the sheltered corner of the garden.

A bale for three sides and then the fourth we offset to one side so they had a little 'tunnel to get in. Then we put a piece of old fencing over the top and weighted it down with heavy bricks and rubble.

Now every time there's a spot of rain there's a run for the 'house'.

Problem with a broody - bit of a poll of opinions?

We're due to go on holiday in two days for two weeks and one of our light sussexes has gone broody, the little mare. It takes a good two weeks to get her out of it as she is irritatingly stubborn. The only way to break her is to put her on wire in an old wire enclosure during the day with food and water, but without a scrap of comfort at all, but even then she hangs on in there like grim death for two weeks.

We're not confident that our neighbour who is looking after the hens can deal with getting her out of the coop in the morning and into the enclosure, as she is quite ferocious when she wants to be and can draw blood.

Do we leave her as she is (just warn him to wear gloves when he puts his hand in the nestbox to get the eggs), or try and teach him the fine art of wrangling a stroppy ferocious Sussex?

What would you do if you were in the same position?

ionahenor2

Steel - I had a broody last year and left her in the wire cage for 2 days. She had a log to perch on, food and water. I tried everything before resorting to the pen......ice packs in the nest, bricks which I took out when the others insisted on laying on top of her and brick/got a few broken eggs! Also tried shutting her out of the coop once all the others had laid but she just camped on the doorstep. The wire cage worked but I felt such a meanie.

RebekahR

Steel wrote: »

Hi Mardatha

We were really worried about our chickens in the foul weather while we were out at work so we constructed a straw bale 'house' for them in the sheltered corner of the garden.

A bale for three sides and then the fourth we offset to one side so they had a little 'tunnel to get in. Then we put a piece of old fencing over the top and weighted it down with heavy bricks and rubble.

Now every time there's a spot of rain there's a run for the 'house'.

I so wanna see that bale house lol! Post a pic :rotfl:

ionahenor2

threemuttleys wrote: »

Hello...I really must try and read through this thread!

Anyway, Im researching chickens atm (and Quail too) and hoping I can find some answers.

Where is the best place to go for a coop? Im only after 3/4 bantams or small breeds? What breeds are recommended as good layers? whats the general op on Eglu?

I have an eglu and love it. It is easy to clean and hopefully redmite proof. I bought it with a run but have since built a WIR and the house is now elevated giving them space underneath. I wish I had bought a cube as I would love to have some more hens.

You can get them direct from Omlet new and reconditioned (peoples returns). They also have a for sale section in the forum. There are often a few for sale on Ebay. They do seem to keep their value well.

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=33

Hope this helps a little.

Steel_2

RebekahR wrote: »

I so wanna see that bale house lol! Post a pic :rotfl:

These are the only two photos I have I'm afraid. Not great but it does show the house. There's no weights on it in these pictures yet as I didn't realise the roof's windsock properties until winter came that year.

From the side

From the front with its little entrance

ionahenor2
I dunked this poor chicken so many times last year to try and cool her down and nothing worked. I was starting to despair after she was in solitary for two weeks and just when I was about to admit defeat and take her to the vet when she snapped out of it.

RebekahR

Those pics are great! LOL. Looks very cosey. I was going to throw away an old fence panel. Now I am going to keep it for something like this!

Athome1

Hope you don't mind my posting an update on my ex-bat hens. They are doing really well, eating well (and almost any and everything too) and where they are bald they have new feathers growing in:D They're still laying 4-6 eggs daily and some of them are flying out of the coup in the morning:eek: which was quite a shock the first time they did it believe me!:D

My garden has never been so weed free, as I go round it every day pulling weeds, plants gone to seed (ie forget me nots) and things growing where they shouldn't be, for the girls to have a forage through. :rotfl:

sparrer

At long last, a reply from the HA re my request to keep chickens. I was beginning to wonder if they were going to respond but it came today, accompanied by three pages of information on how to keep cats and dogs :doh:- I've been a cat and a dog owner for the past 45 years. However have filled in the form which asked me what breed/sex/colour they are, their names, and if they're chipped or tatooed. A bit difficult to answer really, so put down 3 female RIR's. Re colour, the clue is in the title . Doesn't mention ringing, but I guess foxes can't read anyway...

Now I just have to settle down for another long wait

silverleaf79

Whew, it's taken a while to read this whole thread!!

I would love some ex-batts but Him Indoors has vetoed it. His reasons?

* Set-up, etc, is too expensive
* Too much work (which he think's he'll end up doing)
* "It's another one of your obsessions which you'll lose enthusiasm for,"

Today he says he's sick of hearing about chickens. I admit I've been semi-seriously spamming him with battery-farming-is-mean-to-chickens-and-they-deserve-a-nice-life comments along with wouldn't-it-be-nice-to-have-lovely-fresh-eggs-and-hens-to-cuddle-and-save-money-at-the-same-time comments for the last 3 days.

This is not a spur of the moment thing though, I've wanted them for years. I just shut up about it when he said no the first few times. Really not sure what direction to go in now. There's no compromise there at all.

Mojisola

silverleaf79 wrote: »

Whew, it's taken a while to read this whole thread!!

I would love some ex-batts but Him Indoors has vetoed it. His reasons?

* Set-up, etc, is too expensive
* Too much work (which he think's he'll end up doing)
* "It's another one of your obsessions which you'll lose enthusiasm for,"

Today he says he's sick of hearing about chickens. I admit I've been semi-seriously spamming him with battery-farming-is-mean-to-chickens-and-they-deserve-a-nice-life comments along with wouldn't-it-be-nice-to-have-lovely-fresh-eggs-and-hens-to-cuddle-and-save-money-at-the-same-time comments for the last 3 days.

This is not a spur of the moment thing though, I've wanted them for years. I just shut up about it when he said no the first few times. Really not sure what direction to go in now. There's no compromise there at all.

I wouldn't push the saving money angle. I'm sure it would be cheaper for us to buy eggs in the shops but we enjoy having our chooks and look on the cost as well spend.